HRES-359-119
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsored by Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)
What it does
This resolution would express the House of Representatives' support for National Fentanyl Awareness Day and its goals of increasing public awareness about counterfeit fentanyl pills. It would formally applaud federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to combat counterfeit pills, and encourage the use of existing legal authorities to stop their spread. The resolution does not create new law, appropriate funds, or establish any new government program.
Who benefits
Families and young people who may gain greater awareness of the dangers of counterfeit fentanyl pills. Public health and anti-drug advocacy organizations whose messaging receives congressional endorsement. Law enforcement agencies whose work is formally recognized. Communities disproportionately affected by fentanyl overdoses, particularly those with high rates of youth drug use.
Who is hurt
No group is directly harmed by this resolution, as it carries no legal force, creates no mandates, and appropriates no funds. Critics of symbolic legislation more broadly may argue that congressional time spent on non-binding resolutions displaces action on substantive policy — an indirect opportunity cost.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that awareness is a measurable gap in the fentanyl crisis: the resolution itself cites 2024 data showing only 55% of youth and 50% of teens considered themselves knowledgeable about fentanyl. They contend that congressional recognition of National Fentanyl Awareness Day amplifies public health messaging at a time when illicit fentanyl was involved in more than 58,000 deaths in a single 12-month period and in 81% of drug-induced deaths among 14-to-23-year-olds.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that a non-binding resolution does nothing to address the structural drivers of the fentanyl crisis — supply chain interdiction, treatment access, or harm reduction — and that the statistics cited in the bill's own preamble demonstrate the inadequacy of awareness campaigns alone. They contend that congressional action on substantive legislation, such as expanded funding for treatment programs or border interdiction, would produce more measurable reductions in the 51,010 synthetic opioid overdose deaths recorded in 2024.